HYPOTHESIS

A hypothesis is a tentative explanation or an answer to a question about variables, their

relationships, and other facts involved in the research. A research always ends up with a result.
However, you are free to hypothesize; meaning, to infer, propose, or guess about factual things
related to the research. It is an inferential thinking that makes you guess something based not
only on whatever experience or factual knowledge you have about such thing but also on
conclusions that were logically drawn by other research studies. A hypothesis has to be tested
through analytical investigation to prove how true or false it is. (Creswell 2014; Russell 2013)

Defining Hypothesis
Purposes of Hypotheses
Some researchers find hypotheses essential because of the following reasons:
1. They guide you on which aspect of the research to focus on.
2. They provide opportunities to prove the relationship between variables.
3. They give the right direction of the research.
4. They outline your thoughts on your manner of summarizing the results and of explaining the
conclusions.
5. They push for an empirical study to prove the existence of relationship of variables and the
effects of independent variable on the dependent variable.

These guidelines must be observed in formulating your hypothesis.

1. Before writing your specific hypothesis, spend more time researching about the topic you
are interested in. Focus on information and previous studies related to your topic.
2. Your independent variable and dependent variable must be included in your hypothesis.
3. The relationship of your variables must be reflected in your hypothesis. Will your
independent variable affect your dependent variable?
4. Your hypothesis should be simple and specific as possible. If your hypothesis is vague and
complicated, it would be difficult to find the answer to your question.
5. Your hypothesis should be concise and comprises clear and simple language. Make it short
and simple for it to be easily understood and avoid any misconceptions or
misunderstandings.
6. Your hypothesis should be testable without violating ethical standards. It means that it
could be investigated and measured through a scientific method such as statistical analysis
and data interpretation.
7. Your hypothesis must be falsifiable. It means that your hypothesis can be proven wrong
through experiments or empirical data. There are no absolute answers to research
questions, but there is a possibility of validating the hypotheses to be true beyond a
reasonable doubt.

Categories of Hypothesis
There are two categories of hypotheses: null hypotheses and alternative hypotheses. A null
hypothesis symbolized by Ho, which states the absence of relationship between the
independent and dependent variables. It is therefore a statement to disprove the fact that the
independent variable (treatment, intervention, or condition) has an effect on the dependent
variable. The opposite of null hypothesis is the alternative hypothesis. Symbolized by Hi, the
alternative hypothesis states the relationship between the independent and the dependent
variables and the fact that the first affects the second one. (Morgan 2014; Thomas 2013)

A Hypothesis can be classified as Directional and Non-Directional Hypothesis

Directional Hypothesis
The directional hypothesis relates the relationship between the variables and can also predict its
nature. It illustrates the direct association of the impact of the independent variable with the
dependent variable, whether it is positively or negatively affected. The direction of the statement
should be clear and justified according to the findings of the study. Since the hypothesis is
gearing to one specific direction it is investigated through a one-tailed test.
Ex: Students who are eating nutritious food have higher grades than students not having
a proper meal. (This shows that there is an effect between the grades and nutritious food
and the direction of effect is clear that the students got a higher grade).

Non-directional Hypothesis
A non-directional hypothesis is used when there is no principle involved. It is a premise that a
relationship exists between two variables. However, the direction of the effect is not specifically
determined. It is a statement that reflects the association of the independent variable to the
dependent variable without predicting the exact nature of the direction of the relationship. This
relationship is not specified as negative or positive. The hypothesis, in this case, is investigated
through a two-tailed test.
Ex: There is a significant difference in the average grades between those students that
have proper nutritious meal and those that do not have proper meals. (This depicts that
there is an effect between the average grades and nutritious food, but it does not reflect
the direction of the effect whether it is positively or negatively affected).